The present invention relates to a head element operation check mechanism, head element operation check method, and head element number check method, in a printer including a head.
JP-A-06-227018, discloses a technique relating to the detection of a defective thermal head element in a thermal printer.
JP-A-06-227018, discloses “a thermal head driving control method comprising the steps of: driving a head element included in a thermal head; detecting whether the head element reaches a preset temperature after a predetermined time elapses; and giving an indication if the head element does not reach the preset temperature after the predetermined time elapses” (claim 1).
Further, JP-A-2000-141730, pages 4-6, and FIG. 1 discloses a method of detecting a defect in a thermal head in a thermal printer.
JP-A-2000-141730, discloses “a method of detecting a defect of a thermal head, which detects variation in resistors of a plurality of head elements included in the thermal head used in a thermal printer, comprising: a first step of checking whether a maximum value and a minimum value of resistance of the plurality of head elements are within a predetermined range at the time of initial setting when the thermal head is exchanged; and a second step of checking whether resistance of each of the plurality of head elements is within the range of the maximum value and the minimum value obtained in the first step” (claim 1).
The techniques disclosed in the JP-A-06-227018, and JP-A-2000-141730, perform measurement by sequentially applying a heater voltage to all head elements. Thus, the head elements are heated (for printing) in the detecting operation.